landscaper of the year finalist
Uphill battle
Wright never had it easy – having a child at 16 and
needing to support his new family – but he says
having his landscape work helped him overcome
obstacles, even though others weren't always so
sure of him.
"When I graduated from high school, I tried to
borrow $10,000 from the bank, and they laughed,"
Wright recalls. "Now, we mow their property."
He says it was difficult starting out because he
had to show he wasn't just a young kid mowing
yards for extra money during the summer – he
wanted to make this industry his profession.
With two sons by the time he was 20, Wright
knew there was more at stake than just him. He
steadily grew the business, taking his sons to
jobsites and showing them the ins and outs –
something they really enjoyed.
Now, his sons have bigger roles in the com-
pany. Cody, 27, and Kaz, 24, both supervise crews
and share the same love as their dad. "I grew up
around it, and I enjoy doing it," Cody says.
Wright depends on his sons, letting them call
the shots on the jobsites. "They can handle the
issues," Wright says. "I wouldn't be where I am
today without my boys."
Changing to survive
While Wright now has about 11 employees and
close to $1 million in annual volume, his company
wasn't immune to the hard-hitting recession.
"I thought 2008 was the end of the world,"
Wright says. Ninety percent of the company's rev-
enue came from homeowner's associations (HOAs)
2 6 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m D E C E M B E R 2 014
Before starting a project, Steven Wright creates storyboards with the different
components, such as plants, materials and features. Giving potential clients a
visual element has helped him close sales.
